


I’ll Wait for You (Forever)

by nightlight9



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: ABBA is a Gift, Alternate Universe - Vampires, Getting Together, M/M, Sterek Week 2018, Vampire Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 00:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16439714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightlight9/pseuds/nightlight9
Summary: Stiles is introduced to the world of the supernatural in the form of Derek Hale, a vampire willing to risk everything in order to test a potential cure. Traveling cross-country with him, Stiles finds himself falling for the broody vampire, and suddenly making Derek happy becomes the only thing that matters at all.





	I’ll Wait for You (Forever)

Stiles reaches out a hand, ready to change the radio station to something more appealing when Derek strikes out, smacking the top of his hand without hesitation. Stiles jerks back, cradling his arm against his chest, and glares over at Derek. “Dude, what the hell? You can’t hit the driver! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Derek merely rolls his eyes, focusing his attention back on the road before them. “I like this song,” he offers as his only explanation. 

Stiles snorts incredulously as he pulls up to a stop light. “You like ABBA? Really?”

If Stiles wasn’t already desensitized to Derek’s glares, he would be terrified at the look he receives. “What’s wrong with ABBA?”

“Nothing if you’re a forty year-old soccer mom, but you are not.” Fast as a viper, Derek reaches out and pinches the top of Stiles’ hand where he had it, thinking it would be safe, resting on the center console. “Dude!”

“Don’t call me ‘dude,’” Derek snarls, crossing his arms over his chest. “And don’t change the damn station. I put up with your Gods-awful music, you can deal with one ABBA song.” There’s almost something decidedly embarrassed in Derek’s voice, just barely noticeable. It makes Stiles wonder if, had he been able to, Derek would be blushing right now. Of all of the things that he’s learned about Derek in the week they’ve been together, this small, personal admission seems so intimate. This is more than just his nature as a vampire, more than the past that he’s running from. This is just Derek as he is, genuinely enjoying listening to a random Swedish pop group. In comparison to everything else that Stiles has learned and observed, this truth seems precious. 

Reaching for the radio again, Stiles turns the volume up loud enough that other cars on the road might be able to tell what they’re listening too. “Okay then, Dancing Queen, ABBA stays.” When Derek’s lips tip up into a small smile, Stiles ignores how his heart flips in his chest and focuses instead on belting out the lyrics he knows as loud as he can. He pretends not to notice when Derek’s smile grows.

It’s interesting. When Stiles had thought about vampires before, he imagined theses blood-thirsting monsters, too caught up in their own selfish existence to care about anyone else. He remembers reading _Dracula_ when he was younger and thinking that there was something cool about how self-absorbed Dracula was and how going against that nature led to his downfall. When vampires started sparkling, Stiles lost interest. There were other supernatural creatures to become obsessed with, better arguments to be involved in. Researching the supernatural was just a fun thing that Stiles liked to do, and there was a whole world of supernatural mythology to explore. After all, it wasn’t like any specific knowledge of vampires would help him later in life. None of it was real. 

At least, that’s what he had thought. Until Deaton, the local veterinary and Scott’s boss, called Stiles in one night right before closing to ask him for favor. He made Stiles promise to keep everything a secret first, then introduced him to a world where all the supernatural lore he knew was real. And then Deaton brought out Derek. 

When Stiles first met Derek, he had kind of thought that Deaton was pulling his leg. Aside from being dark and broody, there was nothing about Derek that screamed ‘I’m a vampire!’ Hell, he even had a bit of a tan, which Stiles was actually insulted by. But Stiles went along with it. He listened while Deaton told him about a facility in Pennsylvania that had an experimental cure for vampirism, nodded along when he talked about how Derek had volunteered to try the cure, and then eventually agreed when Deaton asked him to take Derek across the county to the facility. 

It seemed like an easy task, even though Stiles wasn’t sure why Deaton had picked him to do the job. And he was getting paid for it. So, whether he was being serious or not, Stiles hadn’t really cared. 

Of course, after he had agreed to do the job, he found out just how serious Deaton was. It took a week to get the trip detailed and planned, during which time Derek loitered around the Stilinski household, hiding out in Stiles’ bedroom acting like some sort of fugitive. And Stiles, because he didn’t have anything better to do, asked him every question he could think of about what it was like being a vampire and about the other supernatural creatures in the world. Even though Derek was resistant at first, he eventually opened up to Stiles and answered his questions. The final nail in the coffin that convinced Stiles that everything was true was when Derek finally shifted for him to show him his fangs. 

In a performance that was more Buffy than it was Dracula, Derek’s entire face shifted as Stiles watched in awe. Stiles became kind of obsessed after that. He spent the remaining days before the trip doing as much research as he could. Derek himself turned out to be the best source of information. When it was clear that Stiles wasn’t afraid of him, Derek took the time to answer any questions Stiles had. Well, almost any question. When it came to anything personal, Derek shut the conversation down. It was obvious that he was running from his past, something that Stiles could respect. He stopped asking personal questions, focusing on broad topics instead. 

And it was all interesting. Learning about another world that existed in secret alongside the reality that Stiles has lived him. Derek himself is just so interesting, and Stiles likes to think that they’ve formed a friendship after all the time they’ve spent together. That’s why, when he asks Derek about the cure, he’s more than a little concerned by his response. 

They’re sitting in yet another shitty diner somewhere in St. Louis. The place is actually pretty busy, considering it’s the middle of the night, and it’s nice to be around some of the local city life. Derek is watching Stiles eat a whole plate of curly fries by himself, content to sip at his water, and Stiles can’t say for sure what makes him ask, but he does. “Do you think the cure is going to work?”

Derek’s brow furrows slightly, considering the questions. Eventually, he meets Stiles’ gaze and shrugs. “It doesn't really matter if it works or not.”

Swallowing his mouthful, Stiles leans across the table. “Why? I mean, don’t you want it to work?”

Shifting his gaze away, Derek shrugs. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to much either way.”

That sounds so absurd that Stiles actually gaps at him. “You’re kidding right? You must want it to work. Otherwise, why risk it?” From what he understands, the procedure that this facility wants to try has only been tested on a few small animals that were infected. There is no guarantee that it will even come close to working on a larger species, a _human_ species, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong. 

When Derek’s eyes meet Stiles’ across the table, they’re steely. “What’s there to risk? I’m a walking monster. I’m not alive, and I’m not dead. If the cure works, I won’t be immortal anymore. And if it doesn’t, if something goes wrong and it kills me, it won’t matter. I have nothing to lose.”

“Dude, that’s-. That’s an awful way to think.”

If looks could kill, Stiles would definitely be dead. “Stiles, everyone that I have ever loved, everyone who has ever loved me, they’re all dead now. They’ve been dead for years, and I’ve been alone. Think about how hard it was for you to lose your mother, and the fear that you have about your dad dying. Think about how it would feel for everyone you know right now to disappear. The world keeps changing, advancing around me, and I’m just stuck. Dying is probably the best thing that could ever happen to me.”

The curly fries that had been so appealing before suddenly taste like ash. Stiles pushes his plate away, pays for his meal quickly, and leads Derek back to the car without saying anything. They need to find a hotel before sunrise, and he doesn’t know what he could tell Derek that would get him to change his mind. 

Things are quiet between them while they check into the nearest motel. Derek curls up in his bed without saying anything more than a strained, “goodnight,” and Stiles uses the time to think.

He can’t imagine living every day feeling that way, and thinking about how Derek puts up with it breaks his heart. Instead of giving up and figuring out a way to end his life, Derek keeps going. Sure he’s a little broody, but Stiles thinks that it’s part of his charm. Besides, who wouldn’t be a little glum if their life was an endless cycle of losing everyone they care about. But in spite of everything, buried under his walls and defenses, Derek is kind. He’s funny and wicked smart, and Stiles genuinely likes spending time with him. Deaton had apologized that the drive to Pennsylvania would take so long considering Derek couldn’t be exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods of time, but Stiles is happy for their time together. And now, what he wants more than anything, is for Derek to be happy for it too. 

Feeling hopeful and rejuvenated, Stiles carefully slips out of the hotel to make a plan. Regardless of the outcome of the cure, Stiles wants Derek to enjoy their time together. And he’s going to do everything that he can to make that happen, even if that means he doesn’t get any sleep that day.

When they’re climbing into the car after sunset, Derek seems to know that something is off with Stiles. He responds, in typical Derek fashion, with confused anger. “What’s wrong with you,” he hisses, glaring at Stiles’ fingers where they’re tapping on the steering wheel. “Did you get any sleep today?”

Stiles levels him with a grin. “Aw, Der, are you concerned about little ol’ me? How sweet.” Laughing at the enraged look on Derek’s face, Stiles pops in one of the CDs he had bought from a record shop earlier that day. “Super Trouper” immediately starts blaring through the sound systems. Derek’s expression morphs into something softer but still confused. 

“Stiles, what-?”

With a shrug, Stiles pulls out of the parking lot. “I thought that you might like it. The guy at the shop recommended some other stuff too, but ABBA seems like a good place to start.”

Relaxing back in the seat, Derek’s skin seems to glow. He always seems livelier after he’s fed, more human. Stiles doesn’t really like to think about that, and he doesn’t really ask many questions about it at all, but one thing he knows for sure is that he likes seeing Derek afterwards. He’s more grounded, more whole. 

As he pulls out onto the freeway, Stiles hopes that the rest of his plan makes Derek smile in the same soft way he is now. It’s a smile that Stiles could definitely get used too.

—————

Derek notices the change in direction five miles into the drive. “Stiles?” He sounds weary. “Where are we going?”

Pretending to be confused, Stiles shrugs. “The facility, remember?”

He can almost feel Derek’s frown. “We’re going the wrong direction.”

“I don’t think so, Derek. Last I checked, we’re still headed to Pennsylvania.”

Instead of keeping up with Stiles’ charade, he groans. “What are you planning, Stiles?”

Trying to act like his heart isn’t racing out of his chest, he shrugs again. “Nothing. It’s just that I have never been able to travel outside of California, and this seemed like a perfect time to check off some of the items on my bucket list. Do you know that I’ve never seen Niagara Falls? That seems like a tragedy if you ask me.”

Hitting his hands on the dashboard, Derek growls out, “This isn’t funny, Stiles. We have an appointment to keep!”

“Dude! Be nice to the car!” While he says it, Stiles veers off the highway, coming to a stop on the side of the road. It’s probably not the safest place to stop, but there isn’t much traffic at this time of night, and this seems like a conversation that they need to have face to face.

“Listen, I know that getting to the facility is a big deal. But it’s not like they can do anything until we get there. Delaying the trip for a few days isn’t going to cost them anything.”

Derek still looks mad. “This is stupid. You can go on your little road trip after you drop me off.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Stiles rolls his eyes. “Dude, road trips are so much better when you’re not by yourself.” He folds under Derek’s glare, and he isn’t even surprised about it. “Derek, listen. I know how dangerous this procedure is, alright. And I know that you don’t care about the outcome, but I kinda do. I don’t know if you can tell, but dude, I like you. You’re smart and interesting, and I want these last days to be something to remember, not just a trip from point A to your potential death.”

The shock on Derek’s face is a little heartbreaking. He seems so surprised that Stiles wants him to have a good time. Narrowing his eyes, he uses suspicion to cover his surprise. “I’m not going to change my mind about the cure.”

With a dramatic sigh, Stiles deflates against the steering wheel. “I know. And I’m not trying to change your mind. I just-. I want you to have a good time, that’s all.” Rubbing at his face, Stiles feels his exhaustion creeping up. “Listen, if you absolutely don’t want to take this detour, I’ll respect that. We can turn around right now if you want. I just thought that it might be nice, that’s all.”

Turning to look out over the landscape before them, Derek considers the offer. His silhouette is outlined by the moon’s light, and Stiles thinks he’s beautiful. Right now, staring out at the empty road, he looks every bit like a creature of the night. Finally he exhales. It comes out shaky. “What did you want to see?”

Hiding a smile, Stiles responds. “Just some scenic cities; Roanoke, Virginia; Frederick, Maryland. I would like to check out Washington DC too, if we get a chance. And Connecticut, but that seems like too much.”

Swallowing, Derek nods. “Okay. And, uh-. Maybe we can take a longer detour and go to New York. I think you’d like the city.”

Trying to conceal just how pleased he is that Derek isn’t shooting down his idea, Stiles admits. “That would be awesome! Oh, and maybe we can go see Niagara Falls?”

Finally, Derek turns to look at Stiles. He watches him for a long moment before smiling. “We’ll definitely have to see the Falls. It’s something that you need to see at least once in your lifetime.”

Unable to hide his excitement, Stiles beams. “Does that mean you’re okay with this?”

Derek nods, still smiling. “Yeah. It sounds-. It sounds like fun. And, it’s like you said, taking a few extra days won’t hurt. I’d like to go on this trip with you.”

Punching his hand in the air, Stiles starts the car. “Yes! This is going to be so great, Derek! Just you wait!” He eases his way back onto the highway, humming softly. He’s going to make these few days great for Derek, no matter what. He just wants him to be happy again.

—————

Traveling with Derek is amazing. He’s full of interesting facts, and funny antidotes. Unsurprisingly, being alive for nearly two hundred years has meant that Derek has been able to travel a lot. Still, he acts like seeing every place with Stiles is something brand new. Even when they get to New York City and Derek takes Stiles to all of his favorite places, the experience is something new.

All too soon they’re standing at Prospect Point, staring out over Niagara Falls. It’s their last stop before going to the facility in Erie, and even though Stiles is awestruck by the natural phenomena before him, the feeling of despair is starting to creep into his chest. All of the time spent with Derek made his feelings for him change from tentative friendship to something deeper and more intense. He likes him, more than he thought he would. More than he probably should. Because now he wants to ask Derek to forget about the cure, and that isn’t fair. 

Sensing the unease in Stiles’ head, Derek reaches out and takes his hand, folding their fingers together. Even though they’ve never done it before, the gesture is easy. “Hey.” It’s a question and a reassurance all at once. 

Stiles tightens his grip on Derek’s hand, buries his feelings, and forces a smile. “It’s beautiful.”

The moonlight plays on the water, making everything glow. Instead of pressuring Stiles into talking about what’s bothering him, Derek turns back to the sight before them. “Yeah, it really is. Laura always loved it here.”

That’s another thing. Even though he was an iron wall when it came to his past prior to their detour, Derek slowly began opening up to Stiles. He started talking about the family that he lost and the things that he had experienced. And it’s not fair, because all Stiles wants now is to keep him. And he can’t.

Ignoring the sudden urge to burst into tears, Stiles squeezes Derek’s hand once more and then lets him go. “We should go. The facility is only a few hours away, and we should probably get there before sunrise.”

Making a confused sound, Derek reaches for him again. “Stiles, I-.”

Even though he wants to, Stiles doesn’t let himself be caught. Instead he squares his shoulder and turns away. “Come on, we need to go.”

Derek hesitates for a long moment, but finally he follows Stiles to the car. They don’t talk during the drive. Even though the cheery tunes make Stiles want to vomit, he plays an ABBA album for the drive. He’ll probably never be able to listen to “Dancing Queen” again without wanting to cry, which is a sad sort of irony that he doesn't dwell on.

The address that Deaton gave them leads them to a large building just outside of the city. It looks friendly despite being encircled by an iron fence, and the guard buzzes them through with a kind smile. 

They’ve just barely stepped out of the car when a woman approaches them, smiling politely at Stiles before turning all of her attention to Derek. “You must be Derek Hale. It’s a pleasure to meet you; we’ve been waiting for you. Dr. Deaton made it seem like your trip here would be much shorter. Hopefully everything went well?”

Despite her polite demeanor, she sounds slightly annoyed that they’ve shown up later than expected. Derek plays along. “Oh yes, everything went just fine, thank you.” He doesn’t offer anything more, and even though it’s clear that she wants to ask, the woman doesn't comment. 

Instead, she smiles and gestures for Derek to follow her. “Excellent. Now if you’ll please come this way, the team has everything ready so that we can get started.”

Those few words make Stiles tremble. “Wait, what?” His voice is high pitched surprise. “You’re going to do the procedure now? But he just got here?”

The woman merely blinks at him. “The team has been ready to try the cure for days. We were just waiting on Mr. Hale to arrive. Everything else is done. Unless there is a reason that Mr. Hale would like to wait, there is no reason that we can’t get started right away.”

Derek nods along, looking solemn. “I don’t mind going now. The sooner we start the procedure, the sooner you’ll have your results, right?”

The woman smiles, pleased that Derek seems to understand. “That is correct. Now, if you’ll please follow me.”

Derek doesn’t move. Instead, he turns to watch Stiles. “Will you come with me?” His voice sounds small, as though he really is unsure about Stiles’ answer. “Please. I don’t-. I don’t want to go alone.”

Even though it seems like the worst idea in the world, Stiles nods. “Yes, of course. Did you think you were getting rid of me that easy? Please, as if.”

The joke is too strained to sound genuine, but Derek doesn’t seem to mind. He just smiles, posture relaxing, and finally turns to follow their guide.

As soon as they step into the building, things seem to go into hyper speed. Derek is put through a few medical exams. He has his blood drawn and they take a sample of his hair, and then they’re leading him towards a restricted room that Stiles isn’t allowed to follow.

Derek tries to protest, tries to get the doctors to make an exception, but Stiles waves off his concern. He’s tired and sad, and as much as he wants to go with Derek, he doesn’t want to be in the room if something goes wrong. He doesn’t think that he could take that. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I can wait out here.”

Derek’s gaze is intense. “You’ll wait though, right? You’ll wait for me.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right here.” He stops himself before saying that he’ll still be here when Derek wakes up, too afraid that it might turn out to be a lie. “Go on, Dancing Queen. I promise, I’m not going anywhere.”

He hesitates long enough that one of the doctors prompts, “Please, Mr. Hale. The team is waiting.”

Instead of turning around and going with them, when Derek finally moves it’s in Stiles’ direction. He marches over, takes Stiles’ face between his hands gently, and presses their lips together. 

The kiss takes Stiles by surprise. It’s soft and warm and a little desperate. Stiles has to cling to Derek’s arms to keep from tipping over, especially when Derek parts his lips and dips his tongue in Stiles’ mouth. When he pulls back, Derek doesn’t move far. He tips their foreheads together, closing his eyes and breathing Stiles’ in. “Thank you,” he breathes in the space between them. Stiles wants to ask for what, but he can’t figure out how to get the words to work. Luckily, Derek explains. “Thank you for taking that trip with me. It was-. I forgot what it was like to have fun, forgot that life could be more than endless monotony.” Stiles ignores the tears threatening to roll over his cheeks in favor of pulling Derek into another kiss. While their mouths are still touching, Derek says, “You’ve given me something to live for, Stiles, and I’ll always be grateful for that. For you.”

And then, after another deep kiss, Derek pulls away. He stares at Stiles for a long moment, drags his fingers through his tears, then turns to the doctor standing idly by the door. “I’m ready.”

Stiles watches him go, waiting until the door has closed behind them before folding himself into a chair and allowing himself a chance to breakdown. 

Derek was everything that Stiles never knew he wanted, and after only two and a half weeks, he turned into something so much more. And all Stiles can do is let him go.

As the night creeps into day, more people show up for their shifts at the facility. No one asks what Stiles is doing there or stops to make sure that he’s alright. No one opens the door that Derek disappeared through. 

Hours later, Stiles’s despair has turned into a sort of numbness, and all he can think about is finding something to eat. Before he can muster up the energy to wander around and find something though, the door opens. 

Two doctors step into the waiting area. They blink in surprise when Stiles shoots to his feet, nearly tripping over his feet to get to them. “Did it work? Is Derek alright?”

One of the doctors has a line of blood smeared over the bottom of her shirt. They both look exhausted. “The cure worked,” the first doctor says after considering whether or not to share that information with Stiles. Despite the news though, he sounds unsure. 

“But-,” Stiles prompts, feeling desperate. 

The second doctor, the one who was present for the kiss, sighs. “But we’re not sure if the procedure was a success.”

“I don’t understand. If the cure worked, why isn't that successful? Wasn't that the point?”

“We were able to successfully isolate and destroy the mutation that created the virus, effectively eliminating it. But in order for the procedure to be considered a success, Mr. Hale has to survive the change.”

The words are like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. “Derek didn’t make it?” He feels nauseous. 

The second doctor sighs, taking his arm gently to lead him back over to his chair. When they’re both seated, she explains. “When the virus was destroyed, Derek went into shock. Considering how long he’s been a vampire, it’s not too big of a surprise. His body has to figure out how to survive without the virus and without consuming human blood, something that it hasn’t needed to do in almost two centuries. The team is doing everything that they can to stabilize him. Trust me, Mr. Hale is being cared after by the best surgeons around.”

Relief that he hasn’t lost Derek yet makes Stiles glad that he’s sitting down. Otherwise he probably would fall over. “Okay. I-. Okay. Will you, um. Will you keep me updated, if you can? I know that this is all kind of top secret and stuff, but Derek means a lot to me and-.”

She cuts him off. “Of course. None of us would even think about keeping important information like this from Mr. Hale’s mate. It would be highly unprofessional if we did.”

“Thank you. I really appreci-. Wait, what? Mate?”

The doctor smiles, and her eyes start glowing a bright red. “It’s a term that my kind uses for our beloveds. Don’t worry, it’s nothing more than a title.” The other doctor calls for her to return, and she rises, patting Stiles’ wrist gently. “We will let you know if there is any news, okay? Please, go and eat something. The cafeteria is just down the hall. Eating will make you feel better.”

Stiles doubts that, but he agrees anyway, watching as both doctors disappear back behind the doors. It still takes him nearly fifteen minutes before he actually gets up in search of food, and as soon as he’s done eating, he returns to his seat to wait. It’s like he told Derek, he’s not going anywhere.

——————

Stiles wakes with a crick in his neck and an awful taste in his mouth. It takes him a moment to remember where he is. When he finally does though, he gets flashbacks from his time waiting in the hospital to see his mom. Hopefully, when he finally gets to leave this place, it will be with better news than he did then.

The doctor from before is kneeling on the floor at Stiles’ side. Her hand is pressed gently on his knee from where she shook him awake. “Sorry to wake you, but I thought that you would like an update on how things have gone.”

Stiles nods, stretching and setting up. “Is Derek alright?”

She smiles slightly at his desperation, and Stiles takes it as a good sign. “It turns out that we were perhaps a bit too hasty testing our cure. Though we got rid of the virus successfully, the rest of the procedure still needs a lot of work before it will be ready to test again.” Her smile grows. “Though, I suppose that isn’t what you’re asking, now is it?”

Stiles rubs at his eyes. “As cool as it is that you’re trying to cure vampirism, I just want to know about Derek.”

“Mr. Hale is quite a fighter. There were several moments where the team nearly lost him, but every time he managed to fight back. Unfortunately, because we hadn’t considered the extent that the body would struggle with the change, when it began shutting down, we didn’t know how to stop it.”

He swallows, feeling numb. The words that she’s saying don’t match up with the small smile on her face, and Stiles can’t make sense of it. “But. You said that he was a fighter.”

She nods. “Yes, indeed he is. When his body started shutting down, I thought I would try something a little reckless to save his life. My superior warned against it, but it was a chance that I felt I had to take.”

He blinks at her. “What did you do? Did it work?”

Her smile grows, but instead of answering his question, she asks one of her own. “Do you know what it is that I am?” He shrugs. Honestly, with everything that had been happening, he hadn’t even thought about it. “I’m an alpha werewolf. When Derek’s body began shutting down, I gave him the bite. Alphas are the only ones able to turn others into werewolves, but the bite doesn’t always take. When someone is weak and their body's failing, the chances of the bite working is reduced.”

For the first time since she began talking, Stiles is starting to piece together the story. “The bite took though, right? He’s okay? Can I see him?”

“Yes, dear, the bite took. The change is a little overwhelming at first because it heightens the senses, but because Derek was a vampire for so long, he’s adapted to the change well. In fact, he’s been waiting to see you.”

Stiles climbs to his feet, nearly knocking the doctor over in his haste. “Where? Where is he?”

She laughs, rising to stand beside him. “Derek,” she calls, barely raising her voice beyond their conversational level. “You can come out now, if you’d like.”

Immediately the door that Stiles has been staring at for hours opens, and Derek steps out. He looks good, even better than when he went in, a fact that Stiles would be more interested in if he wasn’t too busy crossing the floor to pull Derek into a kiss. Derek clings to him immediately, wrapping his arm around Stiles’ waist to hold him close, and Stiles thinks that he could probably kiss him forever. 

Unfortunately, he still needs air to breathe, so eventually he has to pull back. “I was so worried about you,” Stiles breathes into the space between them, threading his fingers through Derek’s hair.

The responding laugh is soft with joy and wonder. “I told you that you gave me something to live for again.” Up so close, his eyes are breathtaking. “Even though I’m not human, at least I’m not immortal anymore, right? I’m not a monster anymore.”

Stiles huffs. “I’m just happy that you’re alright. I just-. I needed you to be alright.”

Derek rubs their noses together. “I can hear your heartbeat even better now,” he whispers. “When I woke up, it was the first sound I heard, the first thing that I noticed. You waited for me.”

Stiles feels like crying all over again, but resists. “I would have kept waiting,” he admits softly, kissing Derek again. It’s something that he thinks he'll never get used to.

The doctor clears her throat, and they pull away from each other, Stiles looking sheepish, Derek awestruck. On her part, the woman just seems very pleased. “Why don’t we go and get you some dinner? It has been a long day for everyone, and I’m sure that you’re both hungry. Besides, there are a lot of things that we should probably discuss.”

Derek laces their fingers together, not taking his eyes off of Stiles when he says, “That sounds very nice, thank you Satomi.” When he follows after her, towards the cafeteria, Stiles keeps a vice grip on his hand. There’s no way, after everything that they’ve been through in the last twenty four hours that he’s letting Derek go. 

The days that follow are filled with appointments and examinations. The facility wants to make sure that there are no unwanted side-effects from their procedure, and Satomi wants to make sure that Derek is in control enough before he leaves, but Stiles doesn’t mind staying there. The room that they’re given is nice enough, and the bed is soft and cozy. Mostly he’s just happy that they’re allowing him to stay.

Finally though, a week and a half after the procedure, they’re finally allowed to leave the facility. Stiles is happy about that. As nice as the facility was, he missed Beacon Hills, and he’s pleased that he can finally take Derek home.

There’s only one thing first. Stiles grins over at Derek after they climb into the car. “So, fancy taking a trip? I’ve heard that Maine is lovely this time of year.”

With a smile that is far to fond, Derek pretends to consider it. “I don’t know, I’m sure that your dad is worried that you’re not home yet, and Maine is kind of out of the way.”

Stiles pouts, through it’s hard when all he wants to do is smile. “Please. I’ve never had a real, genuine lobster roll. That seems like a tragedy if you ask me.”

Rolling his eyes, Derek reaches out and takes Stiles’ hand. “Well, in that case, lead the way.”

Twining his fingers with Derek’s, Stiles beams, starts the car, and does just that

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Sterek Week 2018 for the theme Vampires.


End file.
